Friday, June 11, 2010

You may yearn for the old days but...

This is less of a stroll down memory lane and more like removing your iPod earbuds where you've been blissed out while shoulder dancing to The Black Eyed Peas' I'VE GOT A FEELING only to realize your Sunday constitutional on Main Street has taken a twisted turn down a dark alley, one strewn with the dregs of a seedy nightclub and heady with the scent of stale beer and leftover souvlaki from the night before.

I was talking to a friend about the irresistible series MAD MEN which simultaneously attracts and repels me. I lived through that era, in fact, I was around the same age as Don Draper's daughter Sally in the show and later on, in my twenties, I worked for a Toronto ad agency. So while I relate to it on many levels, I find it oddly disturbing. The old ads help explain why.

when my oldest niece was a bit over a year old (25 odd years ago) she was sometimes given a sip of her mom's milk shakes through a straw. she liked that a lot, especially the vanilla shakes. i thought i'd be funny and gave her a sip of my 7up through a straw. the look on her face just before she spit it all over the table was priceless. it was her first carbonated drink. >:>

Cripes. I was not aware that laboratory tests had proven the benefits of carbonated beverages for babies. LABORATORY TESTS, NW! Do you know what this means? Why, it means that high fructose corn syrup must not be bad for us after all. And...and...a woman's place MUST truly be in the home...and...and...spankings are a good way to keep the little woman in line...and our special purpose IS cooking...and...and...oh. Piffle. I gotta get ready for work.

About Me

A Novel Woman, AKA Pamela Patchet, was unwittingly born and raised in Toronto instead of Paris. She worked her way from A&W carhop to political advisor to advertising executive where, on any given day, she was called upon to soothe disgruntled clients, cajole temperamental artists, juggle multi-million dollar budgets or locate trained penguins for television commercials. She married a handsome dentist for love and a lifetime of free dental care, raised three kids, and established a freelance writing career, not unlike her earlier jobs, minus the penguins.